Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Get there in a heartbeat

April 02, 2014

When the most severe type of heart attack hits, ambulances bypass other hospitals to get to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, a designated center that offers the fastest and most effective cardiology treatment. Ranked four years in a row as one of the best hospitals in the nation, Providence Holy Cross in Mission Hills also is one of just 12 hospitals in Los Angeles County recognized as a specialty center for acute heart attack patients.

As part of this designation by Los Angeles County’s Emergency Medical Services, emergency and cardiology physicians and clinicians work directly with paramedics in the field as paramedics relay EKG readings showing that a patient is suffering a specific heart attack, known as a STEMI (ST-elevated myocardial infarction,) that can permanently damage heart muscle without early intervention. If a STEMI receiving hospital is within 30 miles, policy requires that paramedics take heart attack victims there – even if another emergency room is nearby.

As a specialized receiving center, Holy Cross has an interventional cardiologist and a cardiovascular surgeon on call 24 hours a day. The system ensures quick intervention, thereby greatly improving the chances of saving the patient’s life and reducing damage to the heart muscle.
In 2007, Providence Holy Cross was awarded best in the San Fernando Valley for Heart Surgery by HealthGrades, the nation’s leading health care rating service.
HealthGrades awarded its coveted Five-Star rating for coronary artery bypass grafting and treatment of atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure.

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About Providence Health & Services

Providence Health & Services, Southern California, provides the South Bay, Westside and San Fernando Valley a full spectrum of care that includes leading-edge diagnostics and treatment, outpatient health centers, the well-regarded Providence Medical Institute, numerous outreach programs and clinics, hospice and home care and Providence High School, a Blue Ribbon college-preparatory campus. Learn More >